We at Insight Meditation Fort Wayne heartily encourage periods of retreat.  We feel so strongly about this undertaking that we have an established scholarship fund from which we offer financial assistance to those who may need it to attend retreat.  If you have questions about this offering, you may reach out through the imfw.org website or by inquiring in-person to any IMFW board member for more information.

Even though I have a regular sitting practice at home, the concerns of the householder life arise and compete with the object of meditation; the object of meditation for me is most often mindfulness of the body in the form of the breath.  Continuity of practice is challenged as well the minute the bell sounds and I rise from the cushion to get on with the affairs of the day.  I do try to stay with mindfulness of the body off the cushion, to note feeling tone, to be aware of the mind, and to note experience in terms of dhammas, in other words to practice the Four Satipatthānas, or the four foundations of mindfulness, throughout the day. But the householder life can be pretty demanding when it comes to paying attention.  It is difficult to attain seclusion from the hindrances.  Now, with practice, this continuity of mindfulness does indeed increase, it gets to be a part of the way in which one moves through the world. Still, a retreat, a seclusion from worldly pursuits is immensely beneficial when it comes to establishing continuity of practice and deepening one’s practice by leaps and bounds.

In the Majjhima Nikaya, MN 4 the discourse known as the Bhaya Bherava Sutta, or Fear and Dread, the Buddha is speaking to a Brahmin and extolling not only the virtue, but seemingly the necessity of seclusion for progress along the path.  At MN 4.22 the Buddha says regarding seclusion:

“Tireless energy was aroused in me and unremitting mindfulness was established, my body was tranquil and untroubled, my mind concentrated and unified.”

He continues, “Quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, I entered upon and abided in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion.”

He then goes on to talk of the increasingly more subtle and refined jhānas or sublime states of concentration.  If you read the Suttas, you will typically see the above passage regarding the first jhāna whenever these refined states of concentration are being described.

Now each of us is a unique and distinct being and you may be able to more skillfully and mindfully interact with the day-to-day than I do.  Speaking purely from personal experience, it was very difficult for me to realize these refined meditative states prior to going on retreat.  No, that’s not exactly true, it was not just difficult ­– I had not been able to realize this degree of concentration in meditation prior to going on retreat.  I don’t want to make a storyline out of any of this, or instill misguided expectations in anyone, but when one practices diligently in a retreat environment, things happen.  Insights are realized.  They may not always be things you want to see, but they do present and are most likely beneficial.  Liberation is tasted, doubt is dispelled, concentration strengthens.

The amount of time it takes me to simply “be” when I’m on retreat varies.  As I shared in a recent talk, the last couple of times I was on retreat, it took me two days to simply stop reaching for or patting my body looking for my smartphone, which was turned off and locked away – a blessing in its own right.  Our habit energies, like habitually reaching for a phone, or being constantly engaged in busy-ness, in planning, worrying, judging, fearing, regretting, or doing – these energies don’t typically switch off the minute you walk into a meditation hall or retreat center.  It takes some time.  For me sometimes it takes a couple days, sometimes three, sometimes five, but always some amount of time, for me to be able to simply be.  To be and, at least momentarily, to be free of the hindrances of sense desire, ill-will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry, and doubt, is a state that many of us may not have known our entire adult lives.  The retreat environment offers us this opportunity.

May all beings be well and happy.

Drew Consalvo

We feel so fortunate having people new to meditation join us at Sangha House. Here are just a few reminders of what to expect:

• We remove our shoes when entering the Welcome Room.  This helps to remind us that we are entering a different space, perhaps leaving our concerns of the day with our shoes on the rack near the doorway.
• We observe Noble Silence in the Meditation Hall prior to the 6 pm start time on Tuesdays.  This space is open for people to enter when they wish, and often people appreciate a few moments to sit in silence before meditation begins.  Help us to honor this space with silence.  This includes your phone.  Please silence it prior to entering the hall.
• Our Welcome Room is for gathering!  Enjoy browsing our lending library – and/or warm conversation with friends.

Fall Cleaning – We need your help!

Tuesday, August 16^th, immediately following meditation, please join us for a thorough Fall cleaning of Sangha House.  Help us keep our gathering space clean and inviting by staying after a bit to help with a deep cleaning.  All hands are welcome and many hands make the work go by quickly.

Garage Sale

We are still accepting donations for our Fall Garage Sale in support of the refugees of the Ukraine.  Drop your donations off anytime we are open: before or immediately following either 10 a.m. Meditation on Sundays, or 6 p.m. Meditation on Tuesdays

Save the date – Fall Retreat and Introduction to Meditation Class

October 7 – 9 IMFW is offering a nonresidential retreat with returning teacher, Joan Staubach.  See the full article in this newsletter.

Every Monday in November, Drew is teaching an Introduction to Meditation class beginning at 6 pm and lasting about an hour.   We do ask that you sign up for this popular class via our website.  The teaching is offered freely, requesting a contribution of dana that you feel is right for you.  https://www.imfw.org/intro-scheduled

Our mission is to provide for the study and practice of Insight (Vipassanā) Meditation according to the Theravāda Buddhist religious tradition and to support and encourage the development of community based upon Buddhist ideals, teachings and practices.

IMFW is entirely supported by voluntary donations that embody the ancient practice of dāna or generosity. The teachings are always offered freely and practitioners are invited to offer support that matches their own financial means, and/or by volunteering time and talents to support the teachers and the upkeep of Sangha House.

Save the date! 
 
IMFW welcomes back, Tri-state Dharma teacher, Joan Staubach, for a two and a half day, nonresidential retreat in Fort Wayne.
 
Joan will be teaching on the Anapanasati Sutta, which is one of most revered teachings of the Buddha.  The sutta starts with mindfulness of breathing, but it goes way deeper than that.  On this retreat with Joan, we explore this teaching in detail.  It is suitable for beginning as well as experienced practitioners.
 
Joan will offer a public talk on Friday night October 7^th from 7-8 pm which is open to all, even if you do not plan to attend the retreat.  There is no need to register for this talk.  The weekend retreat on Saturday is from 9:00 am-5:00 pm and the Sunday session is from 9:00 am-3:00 pm.  It is preferred that all registered retreatants attend all sessions if at all possible.  A more detailed schedule will be sent to registered attendees.

The Ānāpānasati Sutta (Pāli), "Breath-Mindfulness Discourse," Majjhima Nikaya 118, is a discourse that details the Buddha's instruction on using awareness of the breath (anapana) as an initial focus for meditation. The sutta includes sixteen steps of practice, and groups them into four tetrads, associating them with the four satipatthanas (placings of mindfulness). According to American scholar monk, Thanissaro Bhikkhu, this sutta contains the most detailed meditation instructions in the Pali Canon. The Theravada version of the Anapanasati Sutta lists sixteen steps to relax and compose the mind and body. According to Ajahn Sujato, the ultimate goal of Anapanasati is to bear insight and understanding into the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipaṭṭhāna), the Seven Factors of Awakening (Bojjhangas), and ultimately Nibbana.
 
Joan Staubach is an active member and past president of Tri-State Dharma in Cincinnati, OH. She is an experienced practitioner of Insight Meditation. She has been practicing since 1999. She has taught and co-taught Tri-State’s New Year’s Retreat for over 10 years, led daylong retreats, and taught numerous Insight Meditation classes.  She has undertaken training retreats with Matthew Flickstein on Sharing the Dharma.
 
There is no fee for this retreat, but you will be given the opportunity to offer dana (Pali for generosity) in whatever amount you’re comfortable with.

Sign-up will be available on our website soon.

A four-week Introduction to Insight Meditation Class will be offered by the Insight Meditation Fort Wayne meditation community starting Monday, November 7 and running until November 28, from 6:00-7:30 p.m.  Drew Consalvo is teaching.

The classes will be held at the Sangha House at 2332 Sandpoint Rd.    

While there is no fee for the class, a donation box will be available for those who wish to express their gratitude to the Insight Meditation Fort Wayne community for freely offering this class.  Please sign up for the class on our website; https://www.imfw.org/intro-scheduled

We teach Insight Meditation, a practice that trains the mind to be aware of what is happening, when it is happening. When we begin to see our experience more clearly, we become better able to make choices about how we might live our lives with less stress and anxiety.  As the mind settles and can see more clearly into the difficult situations of our lives, the qualities of love, compassion and wisdom naturally arise.

Insight Meditation, or Vipassana, has been practiced for over 2,600 years, since the time of the Buddha.  This lineage is practiced primarily in Thailand, Burma, India, Sri Lanka and now in Europe, Australia, many parts of Africa, and the United States.

Learning to meditate is not about becoming a Buddhist; it is not about adopting new concepts or dogmas.  It is not a scholarly pursuit nor is it tied to a belief system. Insight Meditation practice is useful no matter what your religious or spiritual orientation and can support your existing spiritual path, no matter what it is.  

Proceeds to benefit Insight Meditation Fort Wayne (IMFW)

MBSR, the mindfulness course developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, is being offered on Monday afternoons, via Zoom, beginning August 22 at 1 pm EDT for eight weeks (taking a break for Labor Day). Jon Walker, a certified MBSR teacher, and a retired Fort Wayne physician will be facilitating the course.

Each session over the eight week course is two and a half hours in length. Jon is also offering a 6-hour retreat between sessions 6 and 7 — a unique chance to really explore what you are learning.

The fee for the course is $75 and all proceeds will be donated to IMFW. There are scholarships available, so no one will be turned away for lack of funds. If you want more information, you can check out the webpage and register here.

Jon will also be offering a 1-hour “Introduction to Mindfulness” session on Monday, August 8 at 1 pm EDT (also via Zoom). This is a standalone session with plenty of ideas about how to bring more mindfulness into even the most hectic of lives. If you know someone who is “mindfulness curious” but who feels they don’t have the time, you can forward them this link for more information and a way to register for this introductory offering. It also serves as a great introduction to the eight week MBSR course.

If you have any questions, you can contact Jon at jonwalker22@gmail.com.

About Jon Walker: I’m a retired physician and during my years of clinical practice I realized the profound value of cultivating mindfulness and self-compassion. I redirected my career to be able to offer trainings in these qualities and to make what I teach as accessible as possible. I have done the Training in Mindfulness Facilitation program offered at the Mindfulness Awareness Research Center at UCLA, and have done teacher training in Mindful Awareness Practices 1. I have also done the 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher’s Certification Program (MMTCP) with senior teachers Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield through the Center for Greater Good at the University of California, Berkeley. Additionally, I've done teacher training in the Mind Body Medicine program developed for physicians and medical students through Indiana University School of Medicine. I have also co-taught the 8 week MBSR class along with Jack Dyer at Sangha House in the past. Perhaps my main qualification, though, is that I have lots of life experience being neither particularly mindful nor self-compassionate, and addressing that remains a work in progress. So I am highly motivated to help you avoid such a fate!